Training and Bonding With The Slave Girl
by MasterClass60
Summary: A Shield Hero named Sapphire buys a slave as a battle partner. However, what happens is the development of a friendship.


Hello fellow readers and writers! Putting out the disclaimer already- I do not own any content of the topic I use today. Now, I have some big news for you. Today, I'm doing something completely new and out of my normal element. I'm taking on writing a story about _Rising Of The Shield Hero_. I looked it up last night, got information about it, learned about it and now, love it. Now, don't get me wrong, I love writing about pokemon. However, sometimes, when I have an idea about something not related to pokemon, I like to turn it into a story. So, this is a OC story. To explain a little farther, an OC character is a popular Shield Hero. One day, she walks into a slave shop and purchases a demi-human called Raphtalia, if you didn't know about her already. Now, as we say, let's get on with the story.

Morning. I'm a native of Melromarc, the city I live in. The name's Safaia and I'm part of the race of Shield Heroes. My prized possessions are my signature red shield and my titanium sword as sharp as razors. Growing up, I've had a hard life, orphaned at such a young age. Trained alone, away from others and grew strong in the process. In it all, I mentally swore on three things: I will defeat every wave of Catastrophe I see to save the people, I will trust no one unless they earned it, and no one will tell me what to do unless it's absolutely needed. With that, I've come back into town to purchase a slave to train as a battle "companion." So, as I enter the tent, a man is there, saying,"Welcome mistress. I assume you are here looking for a slave. What kind are you interest in"? I say in a monotone and stern voice,"One that will listen to anything I say. A demi-human to be exact." He led me to the back cages, saying,"These are the cheapest I can offer, other than the dead ones I presume." I scanned the cages until I stopped at one that had the sound of coughing. Inside was a small girl with brown racoon ears and tail, long, brown hair, and pink eyes. She was terrified, hungry, and terribly sick. The man says,"This one's not long for this earth. I highly suggest picking another one." However, the look in her eyes, I was able to see for a moment, a younger, more scared version of how I used to be. With that, I said to the man,"No. This one will do perfectly." Once the man lets her out and implants her with the slave symbol, I was ready to take charge. I say,"Listen, from now on, you are my partner in battle. You'll listen and do everything I say, got it"? The small girl nodded as I continue with,"Now, why don't we start things off by telling me your name"? The girl coughed a bit before saying,"I'm Raphtalia." Once everything was set and I paid the three silvers for her, the pair of us walked out as Raphtalia kept silent as we continued. We stopped by a weaponry shop where I purchased her a sword for combat. She slowly slid it into its hold before I say,"Now, you are my new battle partner. I'll train you to the best of my ability till you're the best there ever was." Raphtalia was still a bit hesitant, but somehow seemed calmed by my presence. I pull out a small balloon monster from my side as she stepped back in fear. I say,"Let's see where we are for now. Stab this thing." She hesitantly drew out her sword and lunged towards it. A few times, she was pushed back, but the 5th time, she was able to kill it, earning XP for herself and even me. I say in surprise,"Not bad for a start. I think you will be just fine." The guy who ran the weapon shop interrupts us with,"For a loner like you, you sure know how to get someone into shape without violence." I say,"It's nothing. I was born to be a leader." Soon, we left and walked down the road, seeing the sights around the city. Suddenly, I heard a stomach rumble as I saw that it came from Raphtalia. I asked her,"Ya hungry or something," as she shook her head no while saying,"No ma'am. I'm good." The sight just made me giggle slightly, which was rare because I normally never laugh. I knelt down to her and say,"It's best not to battle on an empty stomach. Believe me, I tried once and never will again." As we made it into the restaurant, many of the men saw us and recognized me as the Shield Hero. Raphtalia stayed close to me as we sat at an empty table. A tall man soon comes by to take our orders. I say,"Two of your cheapest meals please." I paid with 9 coppers as he soon went to cook. As we waited, I decided to strike up a conversation with my new partner. I started things off with,"So, what's it like being a demi-human? I've always wondered what's it like." She fidget a bit before saying,"I don't know. It's just...a natural thing...I guess. Master, why all this"? I say with a sigh,"You look like you needed it. Besides, who am I to let someone other than myself go hungry"?

Soon, our food was served and if looks were right, Raphtalia was definitely impressed. I say,"Eat up. This will provide you with all the energy you need." She began to eat and was enjoying every bite of food that entered. I slowly ate my plate of food as Raphtalia digged into her own. Once both of us were full, we walked out and continued walking. Soon, we made it to the forest where Raphtalia trained by beating a few small level monsters. In it all, she got stronger as her stab marks got more efficient. My shield even got upgraded and unlocked many new features. Soon, we settled down for the evening as we set up camp. Raphtalia soon asked me,"So, who are you exactly"? I say right back while working on a medicine,"My name is Safaia. I'm known as a Shield Hero who helps to save the day." This seemed to impress her before she started to cough again. I soon gave her the brew I made, saying,"This medicine will help you with that cold you have. It's bitter, but it will help." She reluctantly drank it all, despite hating the taste. Later on, she got settled in and fell asleep as I watched over her in case anything came out to attack us. As Raphtalia slept, she struggled with a nightmare from a past memory. She suddenly woke up shouting a pretty loud,"No"!!! She then broke down into tears, saying how her mother and father were gone. I didn't know what to do, so, I hugged her close while repeating,"It's ok. It's going to be ok." In the morning, I stopped by a herbalist and purchased a few herbs for medicine and potion making. Outside, Raphtalia was watching a few kids playing catch with a ball. Seeing how happy she was by her wagging tail, I figured she might want one. So, I asked her,"Hey, would you like one just like that"? She shook her head no while saying,"No! I would never like a ball like that! Never in my life"! However, her tail had other plans as it was wagging really fast. I smiled and giggled before saying,"Oh course. In anyway though," I then went to the side and purchased a ball for her anyway. Giving it to her, I say,"You can play with it after we do some more training ok"? She nodded happily as I couldn't help but smile again. Raphtalia had a certain charm that got me to care for her deeply. A little while later, I took her to where I lived, along the edge of Melromarc. As I showed her the inside of my house, she was in a small state a shock. It's been a while since she was cared for by anyone. By the living room, I introduced her to a bedroom, saying,"This will be your room. I usually sleep on the couch, so, space won't be a problem." Raphtalia smiled before saying,"Thank you master. I am deeply grateful for all that you've done for me." I smiled happily before reaching out to pet her. She flinched a bit in nervousness as I say,"You've never been petted before"? She looked down and says,"No. The only form oof human contact I've had were acts of violence." Hearing her say that moved my heart as I tried to pet her again. This time, she allowed it as both of us were left in shock. I was amazed by the feeling and Raphtalia was in shock that a human as her owner wasn't hurting her. She smiled at me as I couldn't help but smile back while keeping the petting motion up.

The little demi-human gave a small giggle, saying,"This feeling...it's nothing like I ever felt before. It's nice...and kinda funny too." Soon, I stopped as I pulled out an outfit from her dresser, saying,"Let's get you cleaned up and into something more comfortable." I led her to the bathroom and started getting the tub set with warm water. Raphtalia watched on a bit nervous about the whole thing as she slowly got undressed from the rags she was already wearing. Once everything was all set, I assisted in getting her in and settled in. Slowly, I helped her with her back, tail, and hair. Raphtalia seemed to really enjoy it and had the most relaxed smile on her face that I've seen over the past few days. Once she was officially clear of filth and grime, I helped her out and wrapped her with a warm towel to assist in drying her. Raphtalia was really happy, especially when the pair of us shared a small hug. I say,"It's something I've heard. A hug is really nice after a warm bath." Raphtalia seemed to enjoy it, saying,"This is really nice. The best I've ever felt in all of my life." Once she was dressed in the clothes I offered, she sat down on her bed as I offered her another cup of the brew to fight off any of the remaining cold germs left. She drank it all without question, which surprised me. I say,"You have gotten tougher. I'm proud of you." Raphtalia giggled before fiddling with her bangs. Seeing this, I asked,"What's up? Having trouble seeing"? She says,"No trouble. At least...for me that is." I smiled and gave a light giggle before saying,"Another tip in battle. You fight best when you're able to see." She looked down in a bit of shame, saying,"I'm very sorry." I continue with,"No need to be sorry. Your hair being this long is normal for humans and demi-human alike. However, if it's too long, it prevents you from being able to see or move properly." Raphtalia seemed to understand as she says,"Mistress Safaia, I understand, but what can I do to fix it"? I say,"There are many solutions, but what I like to say is that when length and confusion mix, nothing a small haircut won't fix." The small demi-human flinched slightly, becoming quite nervous.

Seeing this, I began petting her again, which seemed to help her relax. With her calmed down a bit, I started to say,"I know it may sound scary, especially to you since you've been through so much before meeting me. However, it's actually not that bad. Believe me, I've been in your position before. I know what it's like." Raphtalia looked up to me before saying,"Just promise me two things. One, make sure that when someone does it, all of it doesn't get cut off. Two, it won't hurt, will it"?

I smiled before saying,"I promise to both those things. If it makes you feel better, why don't I cut it for you? I'll trim it so it's easier to manage with and it retains your original style." It seemed like a good idea to her as she slowly nodded yes. With that, I brought her to the kitchen and put her on a chair. Then, I untied my cape and put it around her so none of the loose hairs would land on her. In my bag, I pulled out a pair of scissors, which the sight of them made Raphtalia nervous again. She quickly shut her eyes, not wanting to watch as I began using the scissors on her hair. It was a bit tricky, especially since she had a lot of it and her bangs were in a complex style. However, after a half hour of complex cutting, I was able to trim it to look sensible and neat. It still had its long length, but in a way, was a lot nicer. After putting the stuff away and unwrapping the cape on Raphtalia, she ran to the closest mirror and saw how it turned out, loving it. Smiling brightly at me, I couldn't help but smile right back, saying,"You see? That wasn't so bad now was it"? Over the next few days, we've walked through town and trained extensively. Raphtalia got a lot stronger and was using her sword with more efficiently. After beating a few more balloon monsters, I say,"Good. Now seems like a good time to start heading deeper into the forest. Suddenly, an enemy bunny appeared to attack us. I blocked with my shield and got a good grip on it before shouting,"Alright. Now Raphtalia! Kill it"! She was a bit scared for a moment, almost wanting to resist. Then, I say,"I know you are scared and want to run. However, it's the drive that'll allow you to defy all odds. I need to train and become stronger to defeat the waves of Catastrophe, but even with all that I have, defense is all I got. I need a battling companion that'll fight monsters with me, for me, by me"! My words seemed to get through her as she holds her sword tightly, saving,"I understand," before charging and killing the enemy with ease. Blood gushed out and landed on us as Raphtalia grew up to level 4 with ease. She says,"I will follow you wherever you go Master Safaia. I promise to be your sword forever." I was so moved by her words, that after she returned her sword, we hugged as she nuzzled close towards me. I didn't mind that our outfits were smudged with blood. What mattered most was that I got something that I've deeply desired all of my life. More than a battle companion, more than some person others call as slaves, even more than a pet. I made...a friend. I could tell this was the start of a beautiful relationship and partnership between us.


End file.
